The Maldives Islands, an aquatic nation that spans across the equator in the heart of the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is located south of India to the west of Sri Lanka. Rarely can you find a more beautiful nation with its secluded tropical islands and clear blue waters. The nation is made up of over 1100 islands grouped into 26 different atolls. An atoll is a group of coral islands consisting of reefs and surrounding lagoons. Out of these numerous islands only 200 are inhabited, with 88 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands.

The Maldives has a hot, tropical climate. There are two monsoons, the southwest from May to October and the northeast from November to April. Generally the southwest brings more wind and rain in June and July. The temperature rarely falls below 77°F (25°C). The best time to visit is November to April.

Dhivehi is the national Maldivian language. It is a combination of Sinahalese, Tamil, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hindi and English words due to its historical links with its first settlers (believed to be from India and Sri Lanka) as well as the many traders who visited Maldives. "Elu", an archaic form of Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) shows great similarities to Dhivehi. English is widely used as a business language in government offices and the commercial sector. Other languages are widely used within tourist areas. Historical remains from as far back as 400 BC, shows strong evidence that Buddhism was widely practised among the people before Islam was introduced. However, Maldives has remained a 100% Islamic nation for more than 800 years. The Maldivian script known as "Thaana" is written from left to right.

According to legend, the Arabian traveler Abul Barakhat Al-Bar Bari brought Islam to the Maldivians in the 12th century. Historical remains from as far back as 400 BC, shows strong evidence that Buddhism was widely practised among the people before Islam was introduced. However, Maldives has remained a 100% Islamic nation for more than 800 years.

Prior visa arrangements are NOT required. On arrival, visitors with valid travel documents will be given a tourist visa of 30 days. Visitors should be in possession of at least US$25 per day to stay in the Maldives. For those coming from yellow fever infected regions, an international certificate of inoculation is required.

Apart from all the fun and joy that Maldives has to offer, one of the greatest pleasures in Maldives is the fascinating Maldivian cuisine. The available cuisines in Maldivian resorts are of four kinds, European, International, Asian and Maldivian. In most of the resorts European and International cuisine are abundant while the guests would have to wait for a special buffet night to enjoy the taste of the local delight.

The Maldivian currency is Rufiyas and Laaris. A Rufiya is equal to 100 laarees (coins). The Rufiyaa comes in the following denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. The American Dollar is the most common foreign currency. Payments in the resorts can be made in most hard currencies in cash, traveller's cheques or credit cards.

Maldives has a sophisticated communications system which includes up-to-date technology and international satellite. IDD facilities are available on all resorts and card phones are available on all inhabited islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives Telecommunications Company also provides mobile telephones for daily rental and is also the Internet Service Provider (ISP).